Ask the Author: R.J. Stowell
Answered Questions (5)
R.J. Stowell
The confidence instilled in a writer that boldly implies that what we write matters.
That's some stuck-up confidence there.
That's some stuck-up confidence there.
R.J. Stowell
Don't stop.
I remember an episode of the Partridge Family in which Keith writes a symphony. His girlfriend's father is a classical music critic. When Keith asks his opinion, the man asks Keith what he would do if he told him that the symphony wasn't any good.
Keith replies that he would quit writing symphonies.
The man responded by telling Keith that if that was the case, he was never meant to write symphonies.
Always keep in mind that Edison's lightbulb failed a thousand times before he had any glimmer of success. What if he had quit? Everything experienced before we succeed is practice.
I remember an episode of the Partridge Family in which Keith writes a symphony. His girlfriend's father is a classical music critic. When Keith asks his opinion, the man asks Keith what he would do if he told him that the symphony wasn't any good.
Keith replies that he would quit writing symphonies.
The man responded by telling Keith that if that was the case, he was never meant to write symphonies.
Always keep in mind that Edison's lightbulb failed a thousand times before he had any glimmer of success. What if he had quit? Everything experienced before we succeed is practice.
R.J. Stowell
I am currently in the editing process for Miles From Nowhere and actively writing that novel's sequel, Calif.
When I was little, Calif. (with the period) was the official abbreviation for my home state, California. There is nature, and there's nurture; and then there's California.
When I was little, Calif. (with the period) was the official abbreviation for my home state, California. There is nature, and there's nurture; and then there's California.
R.J. Stowell
Writer's block is a myth. Writer's block merely constitutes a time for reflection and research. Do your research and inspiration falls naturally into place.
To be less didactic, I find that reading inspires me to write. So much so that it takes me forever to finish anything that I read, whether it's a novel or a travel magazine. I read for a while, soak it all in, then all too quickly throw down a book and head to PC. So, thanks, everyone - all those writers that I never finish...
To be less didactic, I find that reading inspires me to write. So much so that it takes me forever to finish anything that I read, whether it's a novel or a travel magazine. I read for a while, soak it all in, then all too quickly throw down a book and head to PC. So, thanks, everyone - all those writers that I never finish...
R.J. Stowell
Jay and the Americans is marketed as a fictional memoir. To put that into perspective, roughly 90% of it accurately depicts my life. When reading a memoir I am often intrigued by the characters, but halfway through find myself yearning for plot. Plot is the other 10% of Jay and the Americans.
In my current project, Miles From Nowhere, much of it is true (isn't fiction always a reflection of the author's psyche?), but plotting and story take precedence over accuracy. Miles From Nowhere, scheduled for publication in November 2018, is a first-person account of a sick young man determined to make it to Woodstock. Miles' illness has led to dialysis and ultimately to a kidney transplant, but his struggle to make it to the famed concert is more about life than the certain uncertainty of death. Albeit on the last day, Miles makes it to Woodstock. What sounds like a spoiler really isn't, Miles journey is far more important than a concert, even one of Woodstock's magnitude.
While Jay and the Americans utilizes pop culture as a vehicle for plotting, Miles From Nowhere focuses on music as the story's catalyst, indeed music essentially becomes a character in the story.
To finally answer the question: for the past five years I have been the author of the rock history/review website AM (https://10-am.blogspot.com/) which gets more than 3000 hits per day. While its focus tends to be related to what is erroneously called "classic rock," the true purpose of the site is to create a community of people who appreciate great rock music; from country rock to alt and art rock, AM is a celebration of the music that we love. That music is the impetus that drives Miles From Nowhere.
In my current project, Miles From Nowhere, much of it is true (isn't fiction always a reflection of the author's psyche?), but plotting and story take precedence over accuracy. Miles From Nowhere, scheduled for publication in November 2018, is a first-person account of a sick young man determined to make it to Woodstock. Miles' illness has led to dialysis and ultimately to a kidney transplant, but his struggle to make it to the famed concert is more about life than the certain uncertainty of death. Albeit on the last day, Miles makes it to Woodstock. What sounds like a spoiler really isn't, Miles journey is far more important than a concert, even one of Woodstock's magnitude.
While Jay and the Americans utilizes pop culture as a vehicle for plotting, Miles From Nowhere focuses on music as the story's catalyst, indeed music essentially becomes a character in the story.
To finally answer the question: for the past five years I have been the author of the rock history/review website AM (https://10-am.blogspot.com/) which gets more than 3000 hits per day. While its focus tends to be related to what is erroneously called "classic rock," the true purpose of the site is to create a community of people who appreciate great rock music; from country rock to alt and art rock, AM is a celebration of the music that we love. That music is the impetus that drives Miles From Nowhere.
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